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Because the Way is a state of mind epitomized by Jesus. His human consciousness achieved the perfect state of mind, identical to God's in agape love. This elevated our collective human consciousness into contact with God's consciousness. THAT is how Jesus is the Way. When our consciousness resonates with Christ's agape love we are literally "born of God" and know God. It is that simple (and that difficult - some people are so hard to love).
Quote:
Originally Posted by DewDropInn
As we said in the 60's, Mystic, that's some heavy stuff. And deserving of some thought..
One of my personal mantras is “One God. Many paths.”
OK, you have found an ultra-liberal pastor (co-founder of The Christian Left) who puts a non-mainstream spin on a Biblical verse to make it more palatable to the sensibilities of those for whom mainstream Christianity is just too icky-poo. Or, as others have done on this thread, you overlay your own New Age thinking on the same verse to make it more palatable to your non-Christian sensibilities. "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes unto the Father but by me" is an unequivocal statement in plain English. In the context of Jesus' other claims as set forth in the same gospel and elsewhere ("I and the Father are one," "He who has seen Me has seen the Father," et al.), the verse cannot reasonably be read the way Sandlin is reading it and is not read in this manner by mainstream scholars. If your goal is to find a spin on any Bible verse that makes you "more comfortable," you can easily do so because the woods are full of spinners - but you end up spinning yourself right out of Christianity. If pastors like Sandlin would simply form a denomination called The Touchy-Feely Church of What We Wish Jesus Had Said, Because We Just Aren't Comfortable With What He Actually Said, I would have more respect for them. Instead, I suspect they are the false teachers and wolves in sheep's clothing Jesus was warning against.
There is only one way to God the Father, and that is through Jesus Christ who did indeed say that no one comes to the Father but through Him.
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
Jesus is not a way, a truth, a life. He is the way, the truth, and the life. Only through Him can anyone come to the Father.
Cornelius, a Gentile, and a Roman Centurion, who while perhaps not a full-fledged Jewish proselyte to Judaism, was nevertheless a man who feared God along with the rest of his household, and prayed to God continually. Yet, he was not saved. However, God, in response to Cornelius's positive volition, sent an angel in a vision to Cornelius who told him to send for Peter (the apostle Peter) who would give him the gospel so that he could be saved along with his household. See Acts 10:1-8 compared with Acts 11:13-14. And then read the entire two chapters.
Though he was a devout man who feared God and prayed to Him continually, he needed to hear and respond to the gospel message concerning Christ Jesus in order to be saved. As Acts 10:44 says, even while Peter was still talking the Holy Spirit came upon all who were listening to Peter's message. They heard the gospel and believed it. As a result eternal salvation came to them.
The Scriptures are absolutely clear that no one is eternally saved apart from believing and responding to the gospel message concerning Jesus by receiving Him as Savior.
Unless you believe that Jesus died for your sins and rose again, with the result that you rely on Him for eternal life, you cannot be saved according to the Scriptures.
Unless you LOVE your neighbor whom you have seen, you cannot possibly LOVE God, whom you have never seen.
One of the things I mention to them about the “I am the way” quote is that this particular statement from Jesus is meant for a specific person, in response to a specific question, within a specific setting in the Bible.
Jesus was talking to Thomas. On a somewhat related note, this is the poor guy who is frequently called “doubting” simply for doing the most reasonable thing when a dead person says they are not dead. He asked for proof. Basically, he was investigating. I actually prefer to call him “Inquisitive Thomas.” Which brings us back to thoughtfully investigating the text.
Jesus was talking to Thomas who, in an act of thoughtful investigation, had asked the question, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?”
OK, you have found an ultra-liberal pastor (co-founder of The Christian Left) who puts a non-mainstream spin on a Biblical verse to make it more palatable to the sensibilities of those for whom mainstream Christianity is just too icky-poo. Or, as others have done on this thread, you overlay your own New Age thinking on the same verse to make it more palatable to your non-Christian sensibilities. "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes unto the Father but by me" is an unequivocal statement in plain English. In the context of Jesus' other claims as set forth in the same gospel and elsewhere ("I and the Father are one," "He who has seen Me has seen the Father," et al.), the verse cannot reasonably be read the way Sandlin is reading it and is not read in this manner by mainstream scholars. If your goal is to find a spin on any Bible verse that makes you "more comfortable," you can easily do so because the woods are full of spinners - but you end up spinning yourself right out of Christianity. If pastors like Sandlin would simply form a denomination called The Touchy-Feely Church of What We Wish Jesus Had Said, Because We Just Aren't Comfortable With What He Actually Said, I would have more respect for them. Instead, I suspect they are the false teachers and wolves in sheep's clothing Jesus was warning against.
and you have found ultra conservative pastors bent on HATE, FEAR MONGERING and OPPRESSION...I suspect they are FALSE teachers who BLATANTLY preach lies and still there are those who accept them.
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Jesus taught that his way is our way to the Father.
